Ice Cream
by Marymel
Summary: After Nick closes the case, Jackson and Greg invite him and D.B. for ice cream... And Jackson comforts his Uncle Nicky. Mild spoilers for Let's Make A Deal.


**Jackson is my original character, but I don't own CSI.**

**Mild spoilers for Let's Make A Deal.**

**Also, this is inspired partly by TotalCSIfan's A Terrible Night and Another Gold Star.**

**I haven't decided how or if I'm going to write Nick's exit from the show, but I had to write this! I love how Nick and Jackson have always been great pals. So I thought, who better than Jackson to comfort Nick after the case in 15x09?! I hope you enjoy... And pretty please review!**

Nick wished he really could forget the team's latest case. He really couldn't say he wouldn't do the same thing Pete McCrone had done. Talking with D.B., all Nick wanted was to forget the case as much as he wished his own tragic experience had never happened.

As D.B. patted Nick's shoulder and reminded him that he could talk to him, a small, familiar face peered into the locker room. "There you are!" Jackson said cheerfully.

Nick rubbed his hand across his face as D.B. said, "Hey, Jackson!"

Jackson frowned when he saw Nick's sad face. "You okay, Uncle Nicky?"

Nick smiled sadly and cleared his throat. "I just... I had a bad case."

"I sorry," Jackson said. "Do you wanna come have some ice cream with me?"

Nick couldn't help but smile. "Ice cream, huh?"

"Yeah! I got a gold star at school, an' daddy said I can get ice cream!"

"A gold star?" D.B. asked.

"Yeah! Zoe, um...she in my class... She fell down at recess. Her knee was bleedin'."

"Oh, my," D.B. said.

"Yeah," Jackson said. "So I stay with her an' told her it okay."

"Well, that was very nice of you," Nick said with a soft smile.

"An' the school nurse gave her a Big Bird Band-Aid!"

As horrible as the case he just closed was, hearing Jackson talk about his day made Nick happy.

"Then we swung on the swings, an' she was happy!" Jackson happily said. "She played with me an' my friends, an' she said I help her feel all better!"

"Wow!" D.B. said. Nick smiled and said, "That was a very good thing you did, big guy."

Jackson smiled. "So daddy said I can have ice cream, an' I want you to come too!"

D.B. smiled warmly and Nick hugged his godson and said, "I'd love to."

Greg peered into the locker room. "Sorry. Barbara just dropped him off, and he wanted to tell you his news."

"You sure you..." D.B. started. Jackson piped up. "Come on, Uncle Nicky. I want you to have some chocolate ice cream with me!"

Nick smiled at Jackson's innocent, smiling face and felt his sadness chip away. "I think we could both use some chocolate ice cream."

Jackson smiled. "Yeah! An' Uncle D.B. can come too!"

All the men smiled warmly at the little boy who loved them so much. "I'd love to," D.B. said.

"Yay!" Jackson and Greg said.

At the ice cream shop, Nick had to smile when Jackson wanted Nick to sit by him and told the server to be sure to but extra chocolate sauce on his Uncle Nicky's ice cream.

Nick had to smile as Jackson quickly got more ice cream on his face than in his mouth. "This was a great idea," he told his godson. "Thank you."

"I glad you here," Jackson said with a smile. "I like hangin' out with you an' daddy an' Uncle D.B."

Nick smiled. "I like hanging out with you, big guy. And I'm glad you asked me to come."

Jackson smiled a chocolaty smile at his uncle. "Are you not having a bad day now?"

Nick smiled softly as Greg patted Jackson's shoulder. "I'm okay," Nick said honestly. He loved how Jackson just wanted to be with him and loved him so much.

"Good!" Jackson said as he ate another bite of ice cream. "Cause when daddy said I can have ice cream, I told him I wanted you an' Uncle D.B. to come. I like you more than chocolate ice cream!

Greg and D.B. laughed softly as Nick smiled. "Wow," Nick said softly. "Thanks, Jackson. I like you more than chocolate ice cream, too. And I love this more than you'll ever know."

Jackson smiled. "You do?"

"I do," Nick said with certainty.

"Me too," D.B. said.

"And me," Greg said with a warm smile.

The smile on Jackson's face was priceless. He adored his daddy and all his CSI family. "Cool! I love you!"

Nick felt his sadness melt away as Jackson wrapped his arms around him. Greg and D. as Nick hugged his godson. They knew Nick and Jackson adored each other, and loved how Jackson just seemed to know what to say.

"You know what, Jackson?" Nick asked. Jackson pulled away and asked, "What?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

Nick smiled softly. "I was having a really bad day, but you helped me feel better."

Jackson smiled widely. "Cool! An' you make me happy, too!"

"You're pretty good at that," DB said with a warm smile.

"Yeah," Greg added with a loving smile.

Nick smiled and tickled Jackson, loving hearing his laughter carry through the shop. Knowing Jackson loved his extended family so much gave Nick and everyone joy. Nick still felt bad for Pete McCrone, but he felt peace knowing Jackson loved him. To Nick, spending time with his godson and seeing him so innocent and happy was the best way to end the case.

**The End**


End file.
